Home Run
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 1.0 mi
- round trip
- 209 ft
- climb
- 1,387 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Home Run is an easy out-and-back hike in Tug Hill State Forest in New York, managed by the State Department of Conservation. The route is about 2 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 209 feet, and it starts and ends at roughly 1,300 feet. The climb is gentle, with the steepest stretch at about half a mile in, and the high point reaches about 1,387 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Watertown show July highs around 80°F with lows near 62°F, and September still runs in the low 70s. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. The hike takes about an hour. The ZigZag and Snowbird mountain biking trails are both within half a mile, and the Inman Glide and Whiteway hikes are close by.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Home Run
Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
29° / 11°
18 wet · 12 snow
Feb
31° / 12°
15 wet · 10 snow
Mar
40° / 22°
14 wet · 6 snow
Apr
53° / 35°
13 wet · 1 snow
May
67° / 47°
14 wet
Jun
75° / 57°
12 wet
Jul
80° / 62°
11 wet
Aug
79° / 60°
11 wet
Sep
72° / 52°
12 wet
Oct
59° / 41°
16 wet
Nov
46° / 30°
15 wet · 4 snow
Dec
35° / 20°
17 wet · 9 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Watertown, NY, 10.8 mi away at 497 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Snowbird
Next door
1.66-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 135 ft elevation gain
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Zigzag
~1 min drive
0.73-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 76 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: andyarthur — CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Inman Glide
~1 min drive
1.92-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 602 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Black River Trail
~21 min drive
4.24-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 1,041 ft elevation gain.
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)John Young
~1 min drive
1.79-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 452 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Commando trail
~29 min drive
5.28-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 414 ft elevation gain
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Electric Loop
~1 min drive
2.23-mile loop in New York with 109 ft gain and 278 ft loss.
HIKE
Kevin Orwell Trail
~34 min drive
6.24-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 1,176 ft gain/loss
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Whiteway
~1 min drive
Whiteway is a 1.82-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 245 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Explorer
~2 min drive
Easy 1.61-mile out-and-back trail perfect for beginners.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors